Retirement group calling for better support for working carers in West Midlands
More than 200,000 carers left work last year to care full time.
A group, which aims to support people across the West Midlands with work and care responsibilities when they are looking after an elderly relative, is calling on more support for working carers in the region.
The call comes as figures from NHS England show the number of over 65s in the West Midlands waiting for care is on the rise, at 162,365 in 2022-23, up from 149,325 in 2021-22.
The figures also show NHS England has one of the lowest satisfaction rates in the region when it comes to care with just 62% of people in care feeling they are serviced well, with only London and the North West lower.
The impact of working and caring for an elderly relative is particularly impact women and UK Ethnic Minorities, with 2.5 million women identifying as carers versus 1.7 million men, and UK Ethnic Minorities more likely to provide 20+ hours of care a week to a loved on.
More employees than ever are having to become carers, often for older family members, at the expense of their career, health, and wealth, with the inadequate support for working carers costing UK businesses £8.2 billion every year, according to the charity Carers UK1.
Ahead of National Carers Week (10th - 14th June), Phoenix Group is highlighting the need for greater support for the 1 in 7 people in the UK who are juggling work and caring responsibilities, with more than 200,000 carers having to leave work in 2023.
This is especially true of women and UK Ethnic minorities, with 2.5 million women identifying as carers versus 1.7 million males, and UK Ethnic minorities more likely to provide 20+ care hours a week2.
Caring responsibilities are a major driver for people reducing their hours or leaving the workforce, which impacts their career progression, income, and ability to build up savings for retirement, exacerbating the pensions savings gap.
Losing an income has an immediate and longer-term financial impact on people’s ability to save for their future retirement. There is a looming pensions crisis in the UK, and everything needs to be done to help ensure that carers can continue to work and save, and not join the ranks of those facing pension poverty in the future.
The predicament is not expected to ease, with the Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC) predicting that 57 per cent more adults aged 65 and over in England will require care in 2038 compared to 20183. Many of these carers will be family members of working age and support from employers will be vital if they are to continue to be able to work and earn a living.